Planning stages of first time trip to Poland. Intend to travel exclusively by train. Tentative plans - fly into Krakow and fly home from Vienna. From Krakow, we plan on using trains to Warsaw, Torun, Gdansk, Berlin, Dresden, Prague,Vienna. If we have enough time (planning on 6 weeks), we may try to fit Gorlitz and Hallstadt into the mix. While we like train travel, we're not too excited about the long haul between Gdansk and Berlin. Any thoughts on how we can break it up, keeping to trips of no more than 5 or 6 hours? Maybe Gdansk to Poznan and then to Berlin or Gorlitz? Or Gdansk to Poznan to Wroclaw to Prague? RS doesn't cover Poznan or Wroclaw (unless I missed it), does anyone have any experience with those two places?
Posted by
Tulsa, OK
276 posts
Hi Russell,
Sounds like a great trip! Wroclaw would be well worth a visit even if you weren't looking for a way to break up your train ride. Its main square is almost as impressive as Krakow's and it has a fun, energetic atmosphere. I don't know first-hand about Poznan, but I've read mixed reviews here: some say it's dry and stuffy, others say it's charming. I have a Polish artist aquaintance who moved there because it is supposed to have a thriving art scene, so I wouldn't think it's too stuffy.
Rick doesn't cover the less well known places in Poland. If you don't want to buy another expensive guidebook just for Poland, you can check out inyourpocket.com/poland. They have lots of information on Wroclaw and Poznan as well as Krakow, Warsaw, Gdansk, etc.
Have fun!
Posted by
Seattle, USA
990 posts
If you pick the Gdansk to Berlin route, Poznan makes a very convenient stop. It's less charming than Wroclaw, but Wroclav is unfortunately well out of your way on that route. Poznan does have a very pleasant main square for eating, drinking, and watching the world go by, as well as a convenient local steam train that lets you get out to Wielkopolska National Park for a brief hike and then back into town a few hours later. If you do go that way, you can also stop in Gorlitz before getting to Dresden. The old, crumbling buildings of the Silesian capital are rapidly being rehabbed into cafes and shops. (See it before the tour busses start arriving and loving the town to death!)
In my (probably baised) opinion, you don't have a bad choice. Either way you'll see some of the best of Central Europe, and either way, you'll miss out on some places. So count on coming back again someday...
Posted by
baton rouge, la, US
269 posts
I just read this the other day and thought I'd pass it along in case you hadn't seen it: http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/travel/25next.html?ref=travel
Have a wonderful trip to Poland!
Posted by
Stuttgart
3 posts
We went to most of those destinations in April. Not to miss if you can get there is the Ksiaz Castle in Lower Silesia. Here are some photos on my blog:
http://micahcummings.com/blog/?p=1482
Posted by
Monroe, WA, USA
151 posts
I want to put in a plug for Gdynia and Sopot part of the tri-city with Gdansk,as well as Malbork Castle. While Gdynia is no Krakow for sights, it is on the Baltic and authentically working class Polish. Just the comment I got at the Rick Steves store when I purchased my Germany-Poland Railpass, "we don't sell many of those." Made me feel I was off on an adventure! Have a terrific time.
Malbork is a beautiful castle with gorgeous restaurants.